Monday, December 11, 2017

A look back at the 60th anniversary, part one

This is the first in a week-long series of articles in the Daily Bulletin that looks at 2017, the University's 60^th anniversary year.

The University of Waterloo has spent the last year celebrating 60 years of innovation. From public lectures to panel discussions, branded merchandise and banners on buildings, there have been many opportunities to celebrate the University's 60^th Anniversary.

Institutional celebrations were complemented by a number of milestone events within the faculties, academic support units, and faculty, student and alumni groups. 

The Faculty of Engineering's 60^th anniversary coincided with the University's 60^th as did Co-operative Education and Career Action and the University of Waterloo's Faculty Association, and the Faculty of Mathematics, the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, the School of Optometry and Vision Science, and the Federation of Students each celebrated 50 years. The Hong Kong Alumni Association celebrated 40 years this year, and the Institute for Quantum Computing marked 15 years. The School of Pharmacy welcomed its 10^th incoming class. The University of Waterloo's Stratford Campus held its 5-year anniversary in 2017 as well.

So what happened in the first three months of our anniversary year? Here's a non-exhaustive, but hopefully comprehensive, overview of the celebrations, events, and happenings that helped the University mark 60 years of innovation:

The official kick-off to the University's diamond jubilee celebration was the Beyond 60: University of Waterloo 60^th Anniversary Lecture on Monday, January 9 featuring keynote speakers Edward Snowden, Kate Darling of MIT, and Waterloo professors Heather Douglas, Dana Kulic, and Michele Mosca. Snowden, who spoke by video conference, spoke about the relationship between technology and governing a free society, providing examples in several countries, including Canada, where government authorities have collected large amounts of private data and metadata on people, including innocent people who had done nothing wrong. "Privacy is the fountainhead of all rights," Snowden said. "If we are going to have individual rights we have to protect them for everyone."

The Faculty of Mathematics entered its 50^th anniversary year with gusto, hosting a lively panel discussion on on January 18 that featured past alumni discussing their stories of the Faculty's early years, as well as displays of the computing technology of yesteryear. The panel, chaired by Steve Brown, included Donald Cowan, Bev Marshman, Paul Schellenberg, Ron Dunkley, Ian McGee and Jerry Lawless, all who were present during the early years of the Faculty as staff or students.

Hot on the heels of the first Beyond 60 lecture was the 60^th Anniversary Alumni reception in Vancouver on January 19 that saw 150 alumni, students, and partners gather at the Telus World of Science in Vancouver. The event, hosted by President Feridun Hamdullahpur and Vice-President, Advancement Joanne Shoveller, included an exclusive sneak peek at the grand opening of IQC's QUANTUM: The Exhibition. 

The Faculty of Arts celebrated the official opening of the Hagey Hall Hub on February 10 with a reception that welcomed relatives of the University's Charter Board of Governors who rallied together as donors to name the main floor in honour of the visionaries who joined Gerry Hagey in 1955 to plant the seeds that grew to become Canada's most innovative university. The main floor of the Hub is now known as Founder's Hall.

In March, the Beyond 60 Community Lecture Series launched in partnership with the Kitchener Public Library with a discussion on the truth about fake news that featured a panel of Waterloo professors, moderated by Douglas Peers, that included Robert Danisch, Anna Esselment and David DeVidi, all who discussed the topic from their disciplines of speech communication, political science and philosophy.

Check tomorrow's Daily Bulletin for a look at the second quarter of the year.

Tis the season for campus charity drives

All across campus, the holiday season has inspired the spirit of giving back to the wider community that surrounds the University. If you're looking for a way to make a difference this season, here's a sampling of campus holiday charity drives currently running:

• The Library’s annual Toy Box campaign – new and gently used toys for all ages are being accepted in drop boxes at the Dana Porter library near the circulation desk and in the Davis Centre library near the front doors until Friday, December 15. Donations will be taken to the KW Christmas Bureau.
• Parking Services’ Gifts for Tickets program – Parking Services is accepting unwrapped gifts for the Tree of Angels, UW Food Bank, and the Humane Society in lieu of some ticket fines. Outstanding minor tickets at $25 will be waived with a $10 gift donation (a receipt proving the value is required). Donations can be dropped off at Parking Services until December 15.
• Christmas Luncheon Buffet at the University Club – If you are stopping by the University Club to gorge gloriously on the annual Christmas luncheon buffet, why not bring a toy or book to donate under the Club’s Christmas tree and receive a gift certificate to the University Club. The buffet and the donation drive runs until December 22.
• Stuff the Warrior Van toy drive - “Help make the holidays magical for underprivileged kids,” says a statement from the Department of Athletics and Recreation. “You can make a difference this holiday season by stuffing the Waterloo Warriors van with toys until December 22.”

Have we missed anything? If you've organized a charity event on campus please let us know by emailing the Daily Bulletin at bulletin@uwaterloo.ca and we'll do our best to mention it before the end of the year.

Nominations open for Equity and Inclusivity award

The Faculty Association’s Status of Women and Equity Committee is seeking nominations for its annual Equity and Inclusivity Award. The award celebrates members and/or affiliates of the University of Waterloo community whose actions have made a demonstrable impact on equity, inclusivity, and/or diversity at the University.

Eligibility

Nominees will normally be an individual, group, or unit associated with the University of Waterloo or the Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo, but the committee will also consider nominees not formally affiliated with the University.

Nominees will have shown an exemplary commitment to improving the lives of members of equity-seeking groups on campus. These efforts or actions could be in, but not restricted to, the following areas: outstanding service; policy development or improvements; education or awareness-raising efforts; political, legal, or collective bargaining advancements; relevant scholarship; organizational leadership.

How to nominate

Nomination packages should include the following: a cover letter by the nominator, at least two letters of support (up to five letters), and any additional evidence you’d like to include. If it’s relevant, please include the nominee’s CV or resume. Only completed nomination packages will be considered. The criteria and procedures are also available on the Equity and Inclusivity Award page.

Please send nomination packages by December 30 to Weizhen Dong, Chair of the Status of Women and Equity Committee, at weizhen@uwaterloo.ca.

The successful candidate(s) will be notified on or before February 15, 2018, and the award celebration will take place in the 2018 winter term.

Monday's notes

Indigenization Strategy group discussions will be taking place on Wednesday, December 13 at Federation Hall. 

During the roundtable sessions, group discussions will be facilitated relating to how the University is developing a response to the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada with particular respect to those pertaining to higher education.

Police Services is reminding campus that all buildings will be locked during the holiday break. Campus police will start locking doors at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, December 22 and will reopen them for 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday January 2, 2018. Please ensure anyone needing entry to your buildings during this time have keys available to them for that purpose.

The practice of leaving building access keys with Police Services for signout will continue. Please provide the list of authorized individuals and the keys to Police Services as soon as possible. Persons signing out these keys will be required to deposit a WatCard or driver’s licence, to ensure their return.

There will be a test of the campus emergency communication system on Tuesday, December 12 between 7:45 and 8:15 a.m. Test activation and deactivation messages will be sent using the below channels:

• Tweets to @UWaterloo and @WatSAFEapp
• WatSAFE mobile app
• The ‘UW Emerge’ on-screen pop-up for desktops and laptops
• Skype for Business Instant Messages
• Portal alerts and push notifications (NEW)

Your feedback on how these channels operated, specifically the newly added Portal alerts and push notifications option, is appreciated (helpdesk@uwaterloo.ca or ext. 44357). In the event of a real emergency during this test, please contact Police Services at 519-888-4911, or ext. 22222.

Be sure to install the WatSAFE app on your device to receive this test message, and more importantly, to stay informed of campus emergency situations. Visit the WatSAFE website for more details.